Chaperone Duties

Since this is school related, I strongly encourage you to check with you principal and other school system adminstrators about the district's guidelines and liability. This must be communicated to students and parents and chaperones. I am a retired assistant principal and our district had specific ratios and duty guidelines. Chaperones had to have background checks, got specific time and duty assignements (everyone got some time away from the kids- but not alot). A written agreement might be the best way to go. Students also could sign a conduct agreement- parents too even if they are not going.

I did a Girl Scout trip, so I didn't have "school" guidelines.

In a nutshell, my chaperones were informed that they were to be with the kids 24/7. No "time off" and since Girl Scouts don't drink, no 'Pub crawls' etc..

We also split the group up several times and the chaperones were responsible for thier "group" of kids. So if they left with 8 girls I expected 8 back! Basically, they had an assigned set of girls and they were suppose to keep up with them and deal with issues.

I don't have the time to give you a specific list. However, on our first band trip and it was the first overseas experience for our high school we had a mix of about 50/50 between parents and teachers. There were a lot of problems with the parent chaperons. About a third went missing the first day, and another third had no idea about "controlling" students and the final third did OK. On the second trip four years later, all of the chaperons were high school teacher. It went much, much better. The big issue was that they know how to deal with teenagers and they were on the job. Technically they were on vacation but know that any problems would be reported back to the principal.

I wish that the school would fix ratios and policies. I think we are beginning that process as there has not been one in place in this particular school in the past. This is only the 2nd international trip.

Teachers do not want to chaperone as the cost is significant; parents who are willing to chap. are fundraising as much as the students. I do see the value of setting a precedent with screening chaperones, however if we limit it to teachers it will be 1 teacher again. That was difficult with just 7 or 8 eight students.

As we have a student who has already voiced an intent to meet boys and another who has been overheard to say she knows how to sneak out...
I think I will ask the theatre students to remember their girl/boy scout days ;0 )

Bonnie-my daughter has applied for a summer in France, and she had to sign a pretty rigorous honor code. A lot of this wouldn't apply to a short trip, but you might consider adapting it. It at least lets kids and parents know that if the student has to be shipped home because of violations, it's their money they've lost.

http://www.indiana.edu/~iuhpfl/iuhpflhonorcode/